One month later.
An unknown island.
Kavi stashed his boat inside the system's storage space—he'd learned his lesson after the O'Hara incident.
After drifting aimlessly for a month, he had no clue where he was now.
There was no destination, no mission.
He just let fate guide him, meandering from island to island, bullying the occasional thug, and soaking in life's absurdities.
As he stepped ashore, a wave of silence greeted him. The island felt… deserted.
Kavi furrowed his brows, already feeling disappointed.
Not even a single soul after a whole month? This better not be another empty rock.
He wandered deeper into the island.
Everything was too still. No birdsong. No rustling wind. Just silence.
Then—crash! A massive baboon leapt out from the forest, brandishing a sword shaped like a cross.
Behind him, a gang of armed baboons emerged, each gripping a different weapon, their intelligent eyes locked onto Kavi.
"Whoaa...whoaaa..." the leader barked, issuing a warning.
Kavi raised an eyebrow. 'Now this is more like it.'
The scene felt oddly familiar. Then it hit him—Could this be that island? The one where he trained?
If so, this was going to be interesting.
Unbothered by the glaring baboons, Kavi casually strolled past them.
The lead baboon's nostrils flared.
"ROAR!!" he growled, gesturing forward. Instantly, the troop lunged.
'Territorial and organized,' Kavi mused. 'Smart little fellas.'
Still, he had no intention of wasting energy on a group of baboons.
He released a trace—just a sliver—of his top-tier Conqueror's Haki.
The result was immediate.
Several baboons dropped their weapons and bolted, whimpering.
Kavi was mildly impressed. 'Didn't faint? Tough little things.'
The leader gave him one last long look—equal parts wary and respectful—before grunting and signaling his troop to retreat.
Unchallenged now, Kavi continued his walk.
Before long, he spotted a looming Western-style castle nestled deep within the forest.
Its gothic silhouette exuded an eerie elegance.
In front of it stood a young man, sword in hand, practicing with single-minded focus.
Kavi's eyes lit up the moment he saw the sword.
The Black Blade – Yoru. A Supreme Grade weapon.
No doubt about it now.
The youth before him was none other than Dracule Mihawk—the man who would become the world's greatest swordsman.
"Hey, old man! Who are you? This is my territory. Leave!"
Mihawk stopped swinging his sword and turned his cold eyes toward the intruder.
Kavi's face twitched. 'Old man? I'm barely past fifty. Just a few gray hairs and suddenly I'm ancient?'
Ah, the boldness of youth. Clearly, the boy hadn't been humbled by life yet.
Feigning innocence, Kavi replied, "Young man, I got lost at sea. Mind if I stay here a while?"
But Mihawk wasn't interested in pity stories.
To him, strength ruled all. If you weren't welcome, you left—voluntarily or otherwise.
"Old man, I'm warning you. Leave now, or I won't hold back."
Mihawk's glare was sharp, his stance readied.
'Heh. Aloof, proud, and merciless,' Kavi thought, 'just as expected from Mihawk. Doesn't even respect his elders.'
Kavi gave a dramatic sigh and dropped the act.
"I would love to leave," he said, "but I don't have a boat."
Mihawk frowned. "No boat? What kind of nonsense…"
There weren't any islands or ships within hundreds of miles. 'Did this guy fly here?'
"I don't care," Mihawk snapped. "Get lost, or else."
With a flick of his wrist, Mihawk sent a slash flying toward Kavi.
It wasn't a casual swing either—this attack packed serious force.
Kavi casually sidestepped the sword light with ease.
'Oh? This brat's ruthless,' Kavi noted. 'An average person would've been split in two.'
But the slash had dispersed too much over the distance.
Too wide. Too weak. Needs work.
"Boy, that won't do," Kavi said mockingly. "How's anyone supposed to get hit by such a slow attack?"
"Huh?" Mihawk's eyes narrowed. That dodge had been too clean.
Time for a serious swing.
He raised Yoru and slashed again—this time, the sword energy cut through the air like a beam of death, reaching Kavi almost instantly.
Kavi barely shifted. The slash missed by a hair.
BOOM!
A tree behind him exploded, sliced clean in half.
Yawn.
Kavi smirked. "That's it? C'mon, kid. You're not that weak, are you?"
Mihawk was stunned.
The first attack was fine—maybe luck. But the second? That one had real speed and power.
'Observation Haki? But I'm using it too. Why can't I see his movements?'
Of course, Mihawk didn't know—Kavi wasn't using ordinary Observation Haki. He was glimpsing the future.
"Hurry it up," Kavi said, stretching. "I'm tired. Gonna sleep in that castle."
Mihawk's jaw clenched. 'Sleep in my house? This old geezer…'
"GET LOST, YOU OLD BASTARD!"
Mihawk charged, slashing furiously, sword beams flying in every direction.
Kavi wove through the chaos with nonchalant grace, dodging as if on a casual stroll.
Each attack missed. Again. And again.
Until finally, Mihawk's chest heaved with exhaustion, his breath ragged.
Kavi shook his head, like a disappointed teacher.
"Kid, who taught you to swing a sword like that? You're just burning stamina. All brute force, no finesse."
"If all swordsmen trained like you, we'd be better off just lifting weights."
Mihawk's face darkened. "You can insult my strength—but not my swordsmanship."
"You? A swordsman?" Mihawk snapped. "You're just a dodger! You haven't even drawn a blade! What gives you the right to critique me?!"
It was the most words Mihawk had ever spoken in one go.
And Kavi, of course, was just getting started.